As a very conservative Christian, I still have to agree that prostitution should be legal; however, for a married person to make use of prostitutes (as such) constituted breach of contract and that should entitle the other spouse to legal remedy.

One of the madam's employees offed herself in 2006 (if I read the story correctly), so there is now enough fodder for a good old-fashioned conspiracy theory.

I agree on both points. My first reaction to the news, Mama's shed? no no no. I wonder about her lawyers, that she couldn't use her client list for a nice plea bargain. My main beef with the sex trade is the presence of pimps, cop harrassment, and abuse. Otherwise, it's a matter of freedom to choose one's livelihood. It's no more tawdry than some other professions. Men are supposedly the predators here, but from my observations driving cab, the women take charge right off the bat. (And well they should.) A curious aside: when they have a john in the cab, the women talk to the driver like you're one of the gang. Not so when they're alone, then you get demands for a fare discount and no tip. Someone ought to study the psychology of this trade. Wait. Isn't there a library's worth of such books? Maybe one professor per university? Someone should study that.

I love when the lead investigator comes to a final determination in seconds. Anyone who says "no question" before any forensic determination needs to be standing on the corner directing traffic until some questions come to mind. I saw Deborah Jeane Palfrey being interviewed several times and she seemed to thrive in the spotlight. And in this game of legal hold 'em, why would she fold before the flop when her client list dealt her a pair of aces?

Much like Jimmy Hoffas murder and the fish found on Chuckie O'Brians car seat, ("sleeping with the fish"). Palfreys being found in a shed next to her mothers trailor would suggest ("White trailor trash") and a signature of organized crime.

I'm saying murder has to be ruled out. Forensics has to rule out that no one "assisted". The body has to be fingerprinted. It has to be examined under different frequencies of light, and different filters, that would show trace evidence of hands and fingers on the body or clothing, traces such as skin cells and natural oils, etc

Days later, the body should be examined again to see if bruises have developed postmortem. Nothing should be taken for granted.

We have the tools. We have the science. Why rush to judgment?

In those London terrorist bombings, the London police chief exonerated the Brazilian man shot by police within hours of the shooting. The man was an electrician, and was living and dealing with those known to be responsible. Couldn't we wait until we compared the bomb fragments with the electrician's tools and other evidence collected at his home and work site before we made a determination? What if the tool marks matched cuts on recovered wires from the bomb blasts? What if wires and electrical tape fragments matched? There is nothing wrong with saying that at first glance it appears to be unrelated. But our investigations will continue.

I suppose it could be suicide. In which case, doing it where her mother would find her is about as appalling as one could imagine. (Well, I could imagine one worse thing, from personal experience, but never mind!)

About Joy W. McCann:
I've been interviewed for Le Monde and mentioned on Fox News. I once did a segment for CNN on "Women and Guns," and this blog is periodically featured on the New York Times' blog list. My writing here has been quoted in California Lawyer. I've appeared on The Glenn and Helen Show. Oh—and Tammy Bruce once bought me breakfast.
My writing has appeared in The Noise,Handguns,Sports Afield,The American Spectator, and (it's a long story) L.A. Parent.
This is my main blog, though I'm also an alumnus of Dean's World, and I help out on the weekends at Right Wing News.
My political philosophy is quite simple: I'm a classical liberal. In our Orwellian times, that makes me a conservative, though one of a decidedly libertarian bent.